Fall Is the New Most Popular Wedding Season

According to our 2016 Real Weddings Study, autumn remains the choice wedding season over summer.

by The Knot

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Summer has long been defined as wedding season—if you haven't noticed, #summerwedding has become a mainstay hashtag on Instagram posts at warm-weather nuptials. June, July and August have held the title of the most popular wedding months for a long time, due to typically gorgeous and reliable the weather and slightly more relaxed work and school schedules. But sometime around 2015, we started to see a shift in wedding season popularity, and summer slowly started getting edged out by fall as the favorite time of year to say "I do." Remember when the most post popular wedding date was June 18? According to The Knot Real Weddings Study 2016, the new most popular wedding date is October 7 (that's the Saturday of Columbus Day Weekend in 2017).

And it's not just that one date. Fall weddings have continued to pick up steam, and autumn can officially be crowned ruler of the four seasons for weddings. Whether they're seeking lower rates or cooler weather (maybe everyone's finally had enough of dabbing at their perspiration during the vows), couples are waiting for September and October to make it official. So prepare your social media feeds for tons of wedding photos with beautiful foliage in the background.

In 2015, only 33 percent of couples opted for summer nuptials (down from 39 percent in 2014), while fall made some serious headway, with 39 percent of couples choosing to say "I do" in September (15 percent), October (17 percent) and November (7 percent)—up from 31 percent in 2014.

In 2016, our survey findings continue to show a preference for autumn nuptials. While 34 percent of couples chose a summer wedding, 40 percent exchanged vows in the fall. Both September and October play host to 16 percent of weddings and tie as the most popular wedding months, followed by June (13 percent), which remains a staple warm-weather wedding option.